


Connection

by thealphagate_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, Humor, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-09-28
Updated: 2006-09-28
Packaged: 2019-02-02 07:39:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12722391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealphagate_archivist/pseuds/thealphagate_archivist
Summary: A team vacation is interrupted by someone bent on revenge.





	Connection

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the archivists: this story was originally archived at [The Alpha Gate](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Alpha_Gate), a Stargate SG-1 archive, which began migration to the AO3 in 2017 when its hosting software, eFiction, was no longer receiving support. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are this creator and it hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Alpha Gate collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/thealphagate).

  
Author's notes: Many, many thanks to an amazing alpha, DEVRA, for her perceptive suggestions, abundant patience, and constant encouragement. Without her, this story wouldn't exist.  
  
This is a response to the Ancient Obsessions camping challenge.

Feedback always welcome and appreciated!  


* * *

“I can’t believe I let you guys talk me into this!”

“Oh, come on, Daniel. This is supposed to be fun,” Sam said from a few feet behind him. 

He hefted his pack a little up his back said, “Fun? I’m wearing six layers of clothes, carrying ten pounds of food, and my feet are cold and wet.” The water splashing at his feet soaked through his hiking boots and drenched   
his pants below the knee. “You should have told me I’d need hip waders.”

“Daniel,” Jack said, “this isn’t the first time you’ve had wet feet. Buck up and stop complaining.”

“I’m going to have to stop and change into dry socks once we get to the other side of this stream,” Daniel grumbled not listening to his teammates. “I hope I brought an extra pair.”

Sam laughed. “If you don’t have an extra pair it’s your own fault. You knew you were supposed to pack extra socks. If you didn’t, you deserve to have cold, wet feet.”

Jack watched as Daniel stomped through the water with a little more force than was strictly necessary. He continued to grumble, a barely audible sound, until Teal’c gave Jack a sly look and Jack grinned back. They walked up to either side of Daniel grabbed an arm and picked him up so that his feet were dangling between them.

“Hey,” Daniel yelled, “what are you guys doing? Put me down!” He could hear Sam laughing behind him.

“Tired of listening to you complain,” Jack said.

“Indeed,” Teal’c agreed.

They dropped Daniel unceremoniously on the ground on the other side of the stream.

“And because you complained so much,” Jack said grinning at Daniel, “you can make dinner tonight.”

“What?”

“Right after you change your socks,” Sam said ruffling Daniel’s hair on her way by.

“Hold on,” Daniel said. “You highjack me on this camping trip to the mountains in the middle of October, drag me through a river of freezing cold water, and then expect me to make dinner?”

“Yep,” Jack replied as he deposited the bag with the tent on the ground. “What do you think, Sam? Is this flat enough to make a good spot for the tent?” He grinned at Carter as Daniel continued to sputter behind him.

“Looks great, Jack,” she said also ignoring their seething teammate.

“T, you want to see about some fresh water? We’re going to need it to make coffee.” He said the last word a little louder to make sure that Daniel could hear him.

“Daniel Jackson, I suggest you work on dinner so that we may eat before it gets dark.” He inclined his head in Daniel’s direction. “And I will fill our containers with water.” Teal’c walked back to the stream with the canteens in hand.

Finally realizing that everyone else had ganged up on him, Daniel dropped his pack on the ground and sulked into the woods to look for suitable firewood muttering something that Jack thought sounded like “some vacation” as he walked past. 

Jack chuckled as he and Sam set about putting up the tent. “I hope you remembered chocolate, Sam. Daniel’s going to be mighty annoyed with us for a little while.” 

“Got it covered,” Sam responded patting the pocket of her jacket. “It’s like your credit card–don’t leave home without it.”

Jack rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. He’d planned this vacation for almost a month, determined after Daniel’s return from ascended bliss to reunite the team with some quality downtime. He wanted Daniel away from alien threats, away from the SGC, even away from his dingy little office. Jack wanted them out in the wide-open spaces–and here they were. Despite Daniel’s complaints, Jack knew they were all going to have a great time. 

 

An hour later, with the tent up, the coffee doled out, and the stew cooking in the pot, the four friends sat around the campfire enjoying the late afternoon sunshine. The warmth of the fire had relaxed even Daniel who sat with his bare feet resting on a waiting piece of firewood as close to the heat as he could get them without setting his pants on fire.

“Daniel,” Sam said with a lazy stretch, “you really should put your socks and shoes back on. It’s not a good idea to be walking around the campsite without something on your feet.” 

Sam watched as Daniel’s face colored. “Can’t,” he muttered, “I forgot my extra socks.” He ducked his head in embarrassment. 

“You what?” Sam wheezed. “Daniel, I can’t believe you forgot extra socks. You’ve been a member of an off world first contact team for how many years, and you forgot your socks?” 

Daniel tried to defend himself in the face of Sam’s laughter. “I don’t need another pair. These will be dry in a few minutes,” he said reaching out to squeeze the moisture out of the socks dripping over the fire. 

“Oh, Daniel,” Sam snorted the tears close to running down her face.

Jack disappeared for a minute and returned to throw a dry pair of socks at Daniel’s head. “Put those on and remember that I want them back with no holes in them.” 

Daniel gave him a small smile of gratitude as he put on dry socks and his sneakers.

“So what’s the plan for tomorrow?” Jack asked as they sipped the last of their coffee.

“There’s a waterfall about a five minute walk from here.” Daniel answered excitedly. “I found it when I was searching for kindling. It’s small but really beautiful. You guys should see it.”

“Daniel, are you trying to tell me that you’re actually enjoying part of this camping trip?” Jack asked.

“Not on purpose,” Daniel deadpanned.

Sam started to laugh again. “Oh, God. My sides ache already. I’m going to need to go home and have a vacation from my vacation.

Jack glared at Carter. “Let’s go see this waterfall before Carter has hysterics.”

“It’s kind of late, Sir–Jack.”

“It’s five minutes away,” Jack said. “Come on. We’ll go for a walk; by the time we get back the stew will be ready, we'll eat, and then we’ll head for bed.”

“I’m in,” said Daniel.

“I, too,” said Teal’c.

“Then let’s do it,” said Sam

A few minutes latter, they were standing at the foot of a delicate waterfall surrounded by trees set on fire by the sun. The autumn colors came alive in the glow of the sunset. The falls themselves glistened a soft orange gold and the water murmured and curved over water-blackened rocks scattered in the deep pool at its base. The sight was stunning.

“Oh, wow!” Daniel said.

“Oh, yeah!” Jack agreed.

“Jack, did you know this was here?” Daniel whispered. The waterfall, which an hour ago had been beautiful, was now a wonder of molten color. He was mesmerized by its splendor.

“Yeah, I knew there was a waterfall in the area,” Jack replied softly, “but I didn’t know it looked like this.”

“I can’t imagine anything more beautiful. A few more minutes and we would’ve missed this,” Sam said.

The four friends sat together at the base of the falls and stayed until the sun had set and the waterfall was shrouded in darkness. Even then it was ethereal and beautiful, the soft mist from the falls looking like wisps of smoke in the light of the rising moon.

Finally, Jack broke the silence. “Do you think there’s any fish in there?” he asked.

“Fish?” Daniel said.

“Water, camping, fish,” Jack said, “sounds like paradise to me.”

“You brought your fishing pole?”

“Well, not the big one, of course, but I have a collapsible pole that fits in my pack. Why, Daniel? Did you want to share?”

“No, no,” Daniel said hastily. “I wouldn’t want to deprive you of the pleasure.”

“Are you sure?” Jack asked, enjoying the look of panic on Daniel’s face. “I really don’t mind sharing. We could get up a little before dawn, dig some worms, get down to the falls just as the sun comes up, and have a breakfast of freshly cleaned fish ready and waiting before Teal’c and Carter ever get out of their sleeping bags. What do you say?” He leaned over to poke Daniel in the ribs with his elbow. “You in?”

“I…umm…I need to check on dinner. The stew must be done by now.” Daniel rose quickly and started back to camp before Jack could come up with any other bright ideas.

Jack smiled in satisfaction.

“That was mean,” Sam chuckled. 

“Yeah, it was, wasn’t it?” 

“You wouldn’t really get Daniel up before dawn while we’re on vacation, would you?” 

“What about you, T?” Jack asked ignoring Sam’s question. “You in? I’ll even bait the hook for you.”

“I am not O’Neill,” he said. He stood slowly, inclining his head in their direction. “I will assist Daniel Jackson with dinner.” He turned and began a stately walk back to camp.

“I think you scared him away, Jack.” 

The two friends sat for a few more minutes enjoying the steady sound of the falling water until the cool October air reminded them that warm coffee and a hot fire were only a short walk away. They stood and started the walk back to camp.

“So what about you, Sam? You up for a little morning fishing? Birds singing…fresh air…sunshine….”

Sam laughed, “You left me till last and you expect me to jump at the chance to go fishing?”

The two friends spent the next few minutes chatting about the joys of early morning fishing, or in Sam’s case the lack thereof. Sam was about to tell Jack what he could do with his fishing pole when they heard Teal’c call.

“O’Neill!”

They picked up the pace a little coming into camp a minute later to see Teal’c looking around at a campsite short one archeologist.

“Where’s Daniel?” Sam asked.

“He was not here when I returned.”

Jack walked to the middle of the campsite and turned full circle. “Daniel?”

“He probably just stepped into the woods to…uh…you know,” Sam said.

“Daniel?” Jack yelled. “Where the hell are you?” Sam’s explanation seemed reasonable but, for some reason, Jack was uneasy. It was almost an instinctive thing after all these years. If Daniel was in trouble, Jack knew. And right now, Jack knew.

“Teal’c,” Jack ordered shifting easily into colonel mode, “I need a perimeter check. Carter, check the tent. See if Daniel took anything with him.” Jack heard the “yes sir” as he inspected the campsite. The fire was almost out and the stew was still in the pot waiting to be served. All the coffee cups, including Daniel’s, were turned upside down on the log where they’d left them. Even the damp socks were still there hanging on a stick by the fire. Everything looked fine except–no Daniel. Shit! 

“There are footprints, O’Neill, moving off into the woods, running. They are Daniel Jackson’s,” Teal’c reported.

“Signs of a struggle?” Jack wanted to know.

“I do not believe so.” 

“Any other prints?”

“Not in the immediate area.”

“All Daniel’s gear is still here, Sir, pack, notebook, everything,” Carter stated.

Running, Jack wondered? Why would Daniel be running? If all his gear was here, he left in a hurry. What would compel Daniel to go running off into the woods alone without telling anyone? He needed to start a search. Wherever Daniel had gone, he only had a few minutes head start and the sooner they left, the sooner they’d catch up with him. Jack rubbed at the back of his neck in frustration. A minute ago, they’d been on vacation. Now they were about to start a search for a missing Daniel. 

“Everybody take a flashlight. Carter, I want you to head back to the truck at the park entrance. The cell phone’s in the glove compartment. Call the SGC and let Hammond know what’s going on. Then call the local authorities.”

“Colonel, that’s a two hour hike.”

“Carter!” He was about to repeat his order to his 2IC.

“Sir,” Sam said stopping him, “it’s not the hike. We don’t know if anything’s happened yet. What am I going to tell the local authorities?”

Jack sighed. Right. Carter was right. The local authorities didn’t know Dr. Daniel Jackson like they did. Daniel was in trouble, of that Jack was certain, but he really couldn’t expect anyone else to understand. Carter did, of course. She never questioned Jack’s belief that something had happened to Daniel. Hell, no doubt she felt it herself. They’d all developed a sixth sense about Daniel, especially since his escape from Oma Desala. Not that they weren’t all connected in some spooky, psychic way that still made Jack uncomfortable at times, but with Daniel it was more intense, more immediate. Perhaps it was because they’d lost him so often--in more ways than one. Well, Jack thought, they weren’t losing him again. 

“Okay,” he said, “call Hammond and see if he can pull any strings and then get back here ASAP.” Sam started to walk away. “And Carter.” Sam turned back questioningly. “Be careful.”

“Find him, Sir,” she said, the worry creeping into her voice. She gave the colonel a half salute and headed out rapidly. 

Jack looked after her for a minute. He didn’t like the idea of anyone being on their own but they needed someone to go for backup, and he sure as hell wasn’t going anywhere with Daniel out there somewhere. He knew Carter wasn’t happy leaving when Daniel was unaccounted for, but she would do her job and bring back help. 

Jack focused on the present.

“All right, T. Let’s go.” He and Teal’c headed into the woods. Tracking in the dark was going to be difficult, even for Teal’c, but they had to try.

 

“Damn!” Jack exclaimed. An hour into the search the trail went cold.

“I am sorry, O’Neill. Perhaps in the morning I will be able to pick up the trail.”

“Not your fault, Teal’c. I’m impressed you got this far.” Jack stood examining the ground. They were now above the falls standing on the riverbank. Daniel’s footprints had been joined by another set several yards into the woods. From what Teal’c was able to make out, Daniel had been chasing someone. The footprints had disappeared a few yards from their present location swallowed up in the gravel by the river. Jack wanted to kick something. Where had they gone?

It was now close to ten. Carter would still be another hour or so getting to the truck even if she double-timed it, which Jack was sure she was doing. After that it would be another few hours, maybe morning, before she could bring any help. In the meantime, they needed to find Daniel. 

“T, we’re going to split up. I want you to continue upstream. I’m going back down to the base of the falls and then to the camp. Daniel might be back by now.” He rubbed his hand through his hair. He hoped to see Daniel sitting by the campfire waiting for him when he got back.

Teal’c reached out to put a hand on O’Neill’s shoulder. “We will find him, O’Neill,” Teal’c said softly.

“I know, T,” Jack agreed. “We always find him, or he always finds us. That’s the way it works, right? Daniel’s probably back at camp burning the stew and setting fire to his socks. He’ll look up and ask what took us so long.” 

Jack’s weak attempt at humor elicited a squeeze from Teal’c who tried to comfort his friend. He knew O’Neill was afraid for their teammate. “I will continue the search in this direction,” he said looking up the river. “If I have not found anything, I will return to camp in two hours.” He looked down at O’Neill’s anxious face. “Perhaps you and Daniel Jackson could save me some burned stew.”

Jack looked up in surprise. “You made a joke? At a time like this?”

“No, O’Neill, it is not a joke, I am simply hungry.” Teal’c inclined his head at his commander and left to follow the river.

Jack chuckled feeling a little better. Of course they’d find Daniel. It was what they did.

Returning to the campsite, Jack was disappointed but not surprised to find that Daniel wasn’t there. With a deep sigh he sat down by the banked fire and poured himself some coffee in Daniel’s cup. He sipped it slowly trying to decide what to do next. He was pretty sure he’d sent Teal’c on a fool’s errand looking for Daniel upstream, but it was better than doing nothing--not much better but a little. Jack needed to decide where to go next. Should he head down to meet Carter or should he stay here and hope that Daniel would return to camp? Maybe he should retrace Daniel’s footsteps into the woods and see if there was anything he’d missed. Maybe the person Daniel was chasing had a campsite somewhere nearby. 

That was the plan then. Decision made, Jack poured the last of his coffee on the ground. He was standing to go when he heard a small rustle behind him. He was about to turn to greet Daniel, surprised that his friend had managed to sneak up on him, when a heavy object hit him on the back of the head. His last thought before he hit the ground was that he’d found the man Daniel was chasing.

* * * *

Daniel came out of the woods cautiously. It was a wonder he'd found Jack so quickly but after finding the campsite abandoned, his footsteps had unerringly led him here. 

He could see Jack in the clearing a few feet in front of him He couldn’t see Seth Thompson. He wasn’t sure that the person who had thrown him into the river above the falls was the same person who had knocked Jack out and tied him up, but it was a pretty good guess. Hopefully, Thompson was alone but Daniel wasn’t taking any chances. While his first instinct was to race to Jack’s side and see how badly his friend was hurt, he followed proper procedure and circled the area slowly and carefully looking for anyone or anything that could be a threat. He cursed under his breath as his wet clothes weighed him down. It seemed to his ears that the slap of his wet clothing telegraphed his location in stereo. He tried to move as quietly and carefully as possible.

It had certainly surprised Daniel to see his former assistant lurking in the woods just outside their camp. He’d been walking to the campfire to check their dinner when he’d seen a shadowy figure standing a few feet away. At first he thought he was imagining things because who else would be out camping in the woods in the middle of October other than crazy Jack O’Neill and his cohorts. And what were the odds that someone who used to work for the SGC would be camping in the same place. Nevertheless, once he’d recognized Seth, he called out to ask the man to join them. No matter what the circumstances, this was a former colleague and he was welcome to share their campfire and their meal. He’d no more than said his name when Seth turned and ran into the woods. Briefly, Daniel considered waiting for Jack before he followed Seth, but decided he didn’t have the time. Seth’s appearance couldn’t be a coincidence. He wouldn’t have run away if this was just a chance meeting. Daniel needed to know what he was doing here.

Following Seth through the woods at night was dangerous, Daniel soon realized. Tree branches seemed to come out of nowhere to smack him in the face and tree roots conspired to trip him in the dark. And the guy was surprisingly fast for an archeologist. It took Daniel a minute to realize how silly that was. _He_ was an archeologist, and while he couldn’t keep up with Teal’c or Jack, he was in pretty good shape, archeologist or not. He hadn’t expected Seth Thompson to be quite so fleet of foot, however. In fact, it was because Seth had failed the physical fitness qualifications for the SGC that he hadn’t been allowed on an off-world team. Seth had been so disappointed not to be assigned to a team that Daniel had approved his request for a transfer to Area 51 even though he’d been sorry to see him go. Seth was a good archeologist and a good assistant.

Daniel crouched down at the edge of the tree line just behind Jack. He tugged absently at the sleeve of his jacket trying to pull the damp material away from his skin. The cold night air combined with his wet clothing was making him shiver and he knew he couldn’t stay still for too long. 

Jack had been placed in a small clearing propped up against a large tree and left, feet tied at the ankles and hands tied behind his back. His head was on his chest and he wasn’t moving. Other than the fact that his friend appeared to be unconscious, he didn’t look to be seriously hurt, not that Daniel could really tell from so far away. Finally deciding that the coast was clear for the moment, he slid in to kneel behind Jack. 

“Jack?” he whispered as he reached out to touch his friend’s face.

“Daniel? Where the hell have you been?”

“Shit, Jack,” Daniel said falling back. “I thought you were out cold. You scared me half to death!”

“I _was_ out cold,” Jack said straining at the ropes. “I’m not now. When I heard you coming up behind me I thought you might be the guy who attacked me. Now untie these ropes.” He pulled his hands towards Daniel.

“Rope,” Daniel muttered looking down at Jack’s tied hands, “how quaint.”

“Quaint? Daniel would you move your ass and untie me!” Jack said in a strained whisper.

“How would you suggest I do that, Jack? I’m not exactly carrying a bevy of supplies here.” 

“Bevy, Daniel? I don’t think that’s the word you’re looking for.”

“Could we save the lesson on word usage for later?”

“Those are words I never thought I’d hear come out of your mouth.”

“Well, you’ve heard them now. Can we get a move on?”

“We need something to undo the ropes.” 

During their whispered exchange both men were looking around for anything nearby that they could use to loosen the knots. Daniel thought that if he had more time he could go back into the woods and find a short, sharp stick that might do the job but he was loath to leave Jack alone in case Thompson came back. He was just about to try and carry Jack out when he remembered the paper clip in his pocket. 

Quickly he pulled it out and opened it up.

Jack pulled his head around to try to see what Daniel was doing. “What did you find?”

“Paper clip,” said Daniel concentrating on working the end of the metal into the knot. 

“A paper clip?” Jack complained. “You didn’t remember an extra pair of socks, but you have a paper clip?” He strained to turn around.

“Will you shut up and stay still? I’ve almost got it.” Finally feeling the knot loosen under his shaking fingers, he finished untying Jack’s hands and then passed him the paper clip. “Untie your legs and I’ll be right back.” Before Jack could answer, Daniel was gone back into the woods.

“Daniel,” Jack whispered, “what the hell are you doing?” What was Daniel thinking going off into the woods alone? It wasn’t like the bad guys were gone for good. “Daniel?” he said a little louder. 

“Right here, Jack,” came a voice from over Jack’s left shoulder. “Wanted to make sure we’re still alone.”

“Shit! Don’t do that.” Jack finally untangled the last of the knots on his ankles and threw the ropes aside. He gasped as the blood returned to his numb hands and feet. “Help me up.”

“This is going to hurt,” Daniel warned.

“I figured,” Jack said through pursed lips. “But it’s not going to get any better by waiting.” Daniel reached down to pull Jack to his feet and put Jack’s arm around his shoulder when he winced from the pain.

“Come on. Let’s get into the woods a little ways and then we’ll stop and have a look.”

They made their way into the woods as quickly as Jack’s aching extremities would allow. Despite the pain in his wrists and ankles, Jack was aware of the faint tremors running through Daniel’s body. His jacket felt damp under Jack’s hand. 

“Daniel, would you care to share?”

“Went for a swim,” Daniel said looking around for a good place to stop. 

“You won’t go fishing with me but you went for a swim?” Jack asked.

“I didn’t go on purpose.”

“Daniel?” 

Daniel ignored Jack looking for a place that he could stop and check Jack’s injuries. As quickly as they could they made their way to the relative safety of the underbrush. He eased Jack to the ground and then took a closer look at the damage. Jack groaned as sore abused muscles reacted to the movement. Daniel was gentle but he knew it hurt to have him poke and prod around the sore spots, especially since his shaking hands were more clumsy than usual. Jack gritted his teeth and let Daniel finish.

“Well, the rope burns are pretty raw but I don’t see any serious damage,” Daniel said relieved. “I’d like to get them cleaned out soon though, before infection sets in. Oh, and you’ve got a goose egg on the back of your head.” He sat back on his heels before continuing. “I’m a little more worried about you trekking through the woods in your bare feet.”

Bare feet? Jack hadn’t noticed that his shoes and socks were gone until now. He almost wished Daniel hadn’t mentioned it because now his feet hurt along with everything else.

“We’re not that far from camp, ten–fifteen minutes maybe,” Daniel said. “What’s say we head back and clean you up?”

Now that they were out of any immediate danger Jack leaned in to take a closer look at Daniel who was shaking like a leaf. He put out his hand to touch Daniel’s cheek. In the dim light it was hard to tell for sure but Jack thought he noticed a bleeding cut on Daniel’s face. “Is that blood, Daniel?” He reached over to run his hands over Daniel’s head checking for any other injuries.

“Ow! Jack, what are you doing?” Daniel tried to brush Jack’s hand away.

“Checking to see if you’ve done any damage to that hard head of yours. Same as you did for me. Hold still.” Jack pressed gently on the back of Daniel’s head. The cut on his forehead was superficial but long and bleeding sluggishly. He wished the light was a little better so that he could check for pupil response. That would have to wait until morning. “Do you have a headache--are you seeing double?” 

“One of you is more than enough, Jack.” Daniel said trying to deflect his friend’s question. He most certainly did have a headache, and while it was hard to tell for sure without his glasses, things didn’t seem to be quite as in focus as they should be.

“Daniel, answer the question.” 

“I _am_ Jack.”

“Daniel!”

“I’m not the one with a lump on my head.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Jack said. His examination had lead to the discovery of a sizable knot at the base of Daniel’s skull. 

“So, is this a contest?” Daniel asked.

“A contest?”

“To see who has the worst headache.”

“For Christ’s sake, Daniel--.” 

“Jack, I’ll be fine. Right now we need to get out of here before we have company.” 

 

The trembling had intensified the minute they’d stopped moving. More and more Daniel could feel the cold eating into him. The shaking made every part of him hurt. Then he felt hands tugging at his wet jacket and the cold air hit his damp skin making him shiver even more. He realized that Jack was taking his jacket off. 

“What are you doing, Jack?” Daniel mumbled. 

“Getting you into something dry,” Jack said taking off his own jacket and wrapping it around Daniel.

“No,” Daniel said pushing the jacket away, “it’s too cold. You need to wear it.” Daniel felt his fingers fumble with the material as he tried to push it off his shoulders. 

Jack’s hands stopped him. “I’m not soaking wet,” he said. “Put it on Daniel. It’ll help.” 

Daniel’s arms felt heavy as Jack forced them into the jacket. He heard the zipper closing. The jacket, warm from Jack’s body, felt so good on his cold skin but even with the added warmth, he couldn’t stop shaking. Why couldn’t he stop shaking? He could feel Jack pulling on his arm and the next thing he knew he was sitting between Jack’s legs with his back pressed into Jack’s chest and Jack’s arms around him holding him tight. A jolt of pain made him gasp as Jack pressed him close.

“Jack?” He tried to open his eyes not realizing that somewhere in the past couple of minutes they’d fallen shut.

“I need to get you warmed up, Daniel. Put your head back and take it easy for couple of minutes.” 

Daniel could feel the warmth in his back start to make his muscles relax which seemed to make the shivering worse. His eyelids drooped again. “What if Thompson finds us like this?”

“Thompson?”

“Seth Thompson,” Daniel said, his speech slurred, “I think Seth Thompson’s the one after us. Just don’t know why.”

“Well, if he finds us, he’ll have a good story to tell the marines,” Jack said. He wanted the whole story from Daniel, wanted to know why on earth a former member of the SGC, someone who used to work for Daniel, would be out here stalking them, but first he needed to get Daniel warm.

“Just a few minutes, Daniel, and then we’ll head back to camp and get you some dry socks.” He heard Daniel’s soft chuckle before he felt the pressure of Daniel’s head as it fell back on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms a little tighter around Daniel enjoying the closeness. He’d found him. Jack had found him--well the other way around, really--kind of like he’s told Teal’c. But here they were. A little the worse for wear, but here, safe and mostly sound. Now Jack had to keep it that way.

Jack let Daniel sleep for fifteen minutes until the tremors had faded from the bone rattling kind to heavy shiver kind. He cast a worried look down at the body wrapped in his arms. It didn’t seem like he ever stopped worrying about Daniel. He’d worried about Daniel even when he was a glowy ancient. Now that he was flesh and blood again, Jack worried even more. This was supposed to be a few days where they didn’t have to worry about anything other than what to have for breakfast and who had to wash the dishes. He wasn’t supposed to be worried about keeping Daniel from freezing to death. Those were the things they did on a mission to an alien planet, not in a park a few hours from the SGC. 

He knew that his friend was hurt. The fact that he’d been avoiding Jack’s questions would have been proof enough, but watching Daniel tremble with cold clinched it. Still, Daniel was right. At the moment there was nothing else they could do but get out of here. He hoped that Thompson would let that happen.

While Jack couldn’t put a face to the name, he remembered Thompson. The man had not been first contact material despite his insistence otherwise. Jack had been glad to see him go. His attitude had bothered Jack in ways he couldn’t pin down. One minute he was arrogant and the next he was groveling--neither of which Jack could or would tolerate. He’d honored Daniel’s request that Thompson be transferred to Area 51 although he’d done it against his better judgment. By now, you’d think he’d learned to listen to himself.

The cold night air bit into Jack as he sat holding Daniel. His flannel shirt wasn’t enough to keep out the cold and even _with_ a jacket. Daniel, who was soaking wet, must be chilled to the bone. They both needed to get back to the camp and find some warm dry clothes. It was time to move.

“Daniel?” He shook Daniel’s shoulder. “Time to go.” Jack felt Daniel stir under his hands. 

“Ready?” he asked. He could see Daniel pull himself together, his mouth shaping words that wouldn’t come out through chattering teeth. Instead, he gave a short nod. Taking one more good look at Daniel, he sighed. “Okay, let’s head out.”

He stifled a groan as he pulled himself to his feet. His muscles had stiffened in the past few minutes and the scrapes on his ankles and wrists burned in the cold.

“You okay?” Daniel forced out.

“No,” Jack said reaching down to pull Daniel to his feet, “but like you, I don’t really have much of a choice.”

He put his arm around Daniel’s shoulder, assuming that his sore feet would serve as an excuse, and pulled Daniel in tight. He felt Daniel’s arm go around his waist supporting him. Hopefully, Jack’s body heat would help to alleviate some of the shivering–for both of them. 

They moved slowly to spare Jack’s feet which gave Jack a chance to glance over at Daniel every minute or so. It was hard to tell how Daniel was holding up but with his body so close, the shivering felt worse.

 

Daniel kept his eyes on the trail trying in the dim light to find the easiest path for Jack. He was glad to feel Jack’s arm around him and he tightened his hold around Jack’s waist. It helped him make sure that Jack didn’t stumble and fall in the darkness. It also felt damn good. Daniel was so cold he thought he was about to shake apart. He knew from experience that he needed to get dry soon or he was going to fall victim to hypothermia. Already, he felt groggy and disoriented. It was all he could do to keep them pointed in the direction of their campsite--at least he hoped the campsite was this way. He felt Jack looking at him.

“I’m fine, Jack,” Daniel said without looking up. The break had done him good and as difficult as it was, the walk was helping to warm him up. “Fine” was certainly stretching a point since his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and his body ached all over, but at least he could hold a conversation with Jack.

“What! I didn’t say anything,” Jack said. “And I wasn’t going to say anything either, I’m just--concerned. 

Now Daniel did look up, a bemused expression on his face. “Jack, how many years have we known one another? I know what you’re thinking. You’ve been hovering for the last ten minutes.”

“Have not,” Jack grumbled.

“Have too,” Daniel said.

“Not.”

“Too.” 

“Okay,” Jack said, “if we’ve known one another so long then you should know you can’t bullshit me. You’re not fine.” 

Daniel seemed to deflate and the shivering became more pronounced. “No, not fine,” he said looking seriously at Jack, “but I don’t think there’s anything we can do about it at the moment, do you?” More than anything, he wanted to sit down and let Jack hold on to him and get him warm, but there wasn’t time for that now. 

During their walk, Daniel filled Jack in on all he knew about Seth Thompson. It wasn’t much. When he told Jack about the attack above the falls, he could feel Jack tense. He certainly didn’t intend to tell Jack that he’d gone _over_ the falls. The way Jack was holding on to him, he’d probably break a rib. His ribs were sore enough. What was the joke--it’s not the fall that will kill you, it’s the sudden stop at the bottom? Well, that’s what had happened to Daniel when he’d gone over the falls. The sudden stop at the bottom had thrown him against one of the rocks in the pool. He could feel the bruising pn the torso under his left arm. He supposed he should be grateful that he hadn’t been knocked unconscious. Seth had certainly hit him hard enough but the shock of the cold water had kept him awake long enough to struggle to shore before he’d passed out.

 

Jack listened with growing anger. That asshole, Thompson, after leading Daniel a merry chase through the woods, had stopped by the river above the falls and tricked his old boss into a heart to heart talk. Thompson, it seemed, was upset about his transfer to Area 51. He’d seen himself as a great academic going through the Stargate, exploring new worlds, like an intergalactic Indiana Jones. More accurately like Daniel. When he hadn’t been placed with an off-world team, he’d blamed Daniel. While Daniel was trying to console his distraught colleague, Thompson had knocked him on the head with a tree branch and sent him into the river.

Jack admitted to himself that most of the story he’d filled in on his own. Daniel had been much kinder in his recitation. According to Daniel, Thompson had been “regrettably overlooked” or “sadly reassigned.” Jack could read between the lines. Thompson held a grudge and he was taking it out on Daniel.

Ten minutes later Jack and Daniel stumbled into their empty campsite. 

“Make it quick, Daniel” Jack said looking around.

“Jack, maybe we shouldn’t even be here,” Daniel said, “not if this is where Thompson attacked you. He’s sure to come back and find us.”

“I need the first aid kit. You need some dry clothes. You’re going to catch pneumonia like that.” He could see Daniel’s hesitation. “Go, Daniel. I’m going to see what I can scrounge here,” he waved his arm over the campsite, “and check the tent for anything else we might need while you’re changing. We could both use a jacket--and my shoes.” 

Daniel still wasn’t moving. The nighttime cold and the damp clothes were wearing Daniel down. Their rest had helped but Jack was more and more worried about hypothermia. The shivers of a few minutes ago had turned to violent tremors and Daniel’s lips had a slight blue tinge. His speech was increasingly slow and slurred. What Jack really wanted to do was stuff Daniel in a sleeping bag, pour a gallon of hot tea down his throat, and call Hammond for an evac helicopter. But that wasn’t going to happen. For the moment, the best he could do was to get Daniel into some dry clothes and try to regroup with Teal’c. 

“Daniel?” He saw Daniel’s head turn slowly in his direction, his eyes vacant. Damn! “Get into the tent and get changed.” He took Daniel’s arm and led him to the tent.

“S-s-sorry, Jack,” Daniel stuttered. “Cold.”

“Move, Daniel,” Jack said softly. Daniel lurched to the tent, fumbling with the flap before falling through the door. 

Jack watched in concern. Daniel’s condition wasn’t getting any better. He turned away and went back to work. Their first priority--after Daniel got into some dry clothes--was to find something they could use to protect themselves. Thomson hadn’t shown or used a weapon, other than the branch he’d clubbed them with, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have one. 

Keeping one eye open for Thompson, Jack looked around the camp for anything that could be used as a weapon. He saw the knife Daniel had used to cut up the vegetables for the stew and the small axe they’d used to chop firewood. Not much, but better than nothing. He tucked the knife into his belt and held onto the axe. 

He knew they needed to leave the campsite. So far, luck was with them and they hadn’t been discovered, but it was only a matter of time before Thompson circled back this way. Jack crossed to the tent to check on Daniel who had been gone longer than expected. Briefly, Jack thought that Daniel might have fallen asleep in the tent, not an entirely unexpected reaction considering what Daniel had been through. However, Daniel was too experienced a soldier, or rather explorer, to allow that to happen. So what was taking so long?

Bending down to open the flap of the tent, Jack started to call for Daniel when he saw him pressed against the back of the tent. He was kneeling bare-chested, dry shirt clutched tightly in one hand, but perfectly still. His eyes were riveted to a spot by his sleeping bag a foot away. When Jack entered the tent, Daniel put up his free hand to signal stop.

“Daniel? What the hell–.”

Daniel cut him off. “Don’t move, Jack!” Daniel said in a soft but urgent voice. “We’ve got company.” 

Jack scanned Daniel’s face. It was a blanched white up to and including his eyes, which were as wide as Jack had ever seen them. The tremors were coursing through Daniel in rhythmic shudders but his posture was rigid. Daniel kept the hand up telling Jack to stay put. 

“There’s a snake in the sleeping bag,” Daniel explained.

“A snake?”

“Poisonous, I think.”

“Yeah, well, there are a few poisonous snakes around here.”

“You took me camping somewhere where there are poisonous snakes?” Daniel asked.

“Daniel, we live in Colorado,” Jack said dryly, “and we deal with snakes every day.”

“We went on vacation so that we wouldn’t have to deal with snakes,” Daniel said his eyes never moving from the sleeping bag.

Jack was sliding very slowly to his right. He needed to see this snake Daniel was talking about.

“Jack,” Daniel said warningly, “don’t move.”

“It’s all right, Daniel. It probably doesn’t know I’m here.”

“No, but it does know _I’m_ here,” Daniel said.

“Ah,” Jack said. “Gotcha.” He continued his steady movement. “Have I mentioned that I hate snakes?” Jack asked as he hefted the axe in his hand.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Daniel’s lips twitched. “I think it’s come up a couple of times in conversation.” 

Jack could now see the snake. It was a small rattler and it definitely wasn’t happy to see Daniel. The forked tongue flicked in and out as it stared back at the intruder in front of it.

“Daniel,” Jack said getting into position. “Don’t move. I need you to stay very still.” Jack wondered fleetingly about the logic of his command. Daniel looked like he was about to collapse any minute and no amount of ordering on Jack’s part was going to change that. Not that it ever had.

“Not planning on going anywhere,” Daniel whispered. 

Jack tested the weight of the small axe in his hand one more time. He knew he was only going to get one shot at this. If he missed, all he was going to do make the situation worse. He took a deep breath and then took aim. “Here we go,” he said softly, and then threw the axe with all the force he could muster. 

For a moment, it seemed that time stood still. The snake arched and then fell so that Jack couldn’t see it. Jack stood stock-still waiting for the snake to strike. Except for the tremors, Daniel was motionless, still staring at the sleeping bag.

Jack took a hesitant step forward. Nothing. Leaning over he picked up the axe and poked the snake with it to make sure it was dead. Damn, he was a good shot. He couldn’t help but grin. “Well, Daniel, we did it again. One more snake bites the dust,” he said still looking at the grisly sight at his feet, but Daniel didn’t answer. Looking over, he could see that Daniel hadn’t moved. Even his raised hand was in the same position.

“Daniel?” he said crossing to kneel in front of his friend. It was clear that Daniel was in shock. He was locked in position, his eyes no longer seeing, his body no longer responding. He wasn’t even shivering anymore. Quickly, Jack wrapped his arm around Daniel and pulled him in close to his body.

“It’s okay, Daniel. Let go. I’ve got you.” He kept up a steady stream of nonsense rubbing Daniel’s arms to try to get some warmth back into them. “Come on, Daniel, look at me.” Daniel’s body felt far too cold and the stress of the last few minutes obviously hadn’t helped the situation. Shit! This wasn’t supposed to happen. “Come on, buddy, talk to me here.” Jack wrapped Daniel’s stiff body in his arms, grabbing the other sleeping bag and draping it over the two of them. He pulled Daniel in as close as he could keeping up his soft litany. “Hey, buddy, the snake’s gone. Let’s get a cup of stale coffee and celebrate. Come on; come back to me, big guy. We’ve got a date to go fishing in the morning.” His movements had turned into a rocking motion as he waited for Daniel to respond. He squeezed a little tighter and then let out a huge sigh of relief when he felt Daniel’s body go limp against him. A gasp of breath later and Daniel had his arms wrapped around Jack’s warm body.

“You back with me?” Jack asked trying to wrap Daniel even tighter in the sleeping bag. 

“Y-y-yes,” Daniel said, teeth chattering. “S-snake’s gone?”

“Gone,” Jack said. He was relieved to hear that wonderful voice again. Daniel was shivering violently but at least he was lucid enough to ask a question. 

“S-s-still not going f-f-fishing,” Daniel whispered. The tremors were starting to fade but he still felt so cold. 

Jack laughed, holding on to Daniel tightly. “Hey, it was worth a shot,” he said. 

After a few minutes, the tremors started to ease. Carefully, he loosened his grip on Daniel. He looked down to see Daniel smiling up at him. He grinned back. “Feeling better?” At Daniel’s nod he said, “Come on. Let’s get you into some dry clothes and then we need to see if we can find Teal’c. I sent Carter for help. With any luck she’ll be back by morning.”

Jack helped Daniel pull on an extra sweater doing his best not to notice the purple bruising covering Daniel’s side. In typical Daniel style, he’d neglected to mention that his whole left side was swollen and obviously tender. No doubt Daniel would explain it in his own time although Jack had a pretty good guess as to how it had happened.

Jack dug out a couple of pairs of dry socks from Teal’c’s pack and handed them to Daniel. His movements still seemed awkward and he was quiet--for Daniel--but the tremors had finally subsided to occasional shivers.

“I’m fine, Jack,” Daniel said. He finished double layering the socks and pulled on a soft wool hat.

Jack snorted. “You do that on purpose, don’t you?” 

“Just wanted to make sure you could still smile,” Daniel replied. Jack had been much too serious in the last few minutes. He’d noticed the pause as Jack had helped pull the warm sweater over his head. He imagined that by now his side must show the bruising he’d received from his tumble over the falls, or maybe Jack had heard the little gasp he’d given as he’d twisted the wrong way and pulled on tender muscles. In reality, he’d been lucky. He’d escaped most of the rocks at the base of the falls by falling into the deeper part of the pool. 

Daniel tried to ignore the worried glances Jack kept sending his direction, grateful that at least for the moment, Jack wasn’t going to ask. Daniel intended to explain--if he had to--but not right now. He was too tired deal with it right now. He winced as he bent to straighten out his wonderfully dry t-shirt only to feel Jack’s hands swatting his away. Jack adjusted the shirt and gave Daniel a crooked smile. 

With a caring that still surprised Daniel, Jack had helped him get dressed. Jack had even tied his shoes for him when his numb fingers couldn’t hold the laces. Not for the first time, Daniel thought about what a wonderful father Jack must have been. There was such tenderness in this man. And no, Daniel thought, he wasn’t fine, but he was better now that he had the warmth of several layers of dry cloths, and perhaps more importantly, the warmth of Jack’s friendship. 

Daniel insisted they stay while he bandaged Jack's wrists and ankles even though it took a long time with his numb fingers. A few minutes later, the necessities taken care of, they were ready to go. 

Daniel started to pull himself to his feet suddenly finding Jack beside him helping him up. Jack’s arm squeezed a little before he let go.

“You ready?” Jack asked.

“Sure,” Daniel said taking a deep breath, “let’s move.”

Jack started to walk to the tent opening only to find that Daniel was still looking at the dead snake. “It’s okay, Daniel,” Jack said reassuringly, “I got it.”

“I know you did,” Daniel said. “Thanks, by the way. I think you saved my life again.”

“I’ll put it on your tab,” Jack said lightly. Daniel still didn’t move. “Daniel? Door’s that way,” Jack said motioning for Daniel to leave.

“What if this was deliberate?”

“Say again?”

Daniel turned to look at Jack intently. “What if this was deliberate?”

“Deliberate?” 

“On purpose, directed to a specific end, with intent–“

“I know what it means, Daniel.” Jack stopped the flow of linguistic eloquence. "Why would you think it was deliberate?”

“It’s the wrong time of year for snakes, isn’t it?” Daniel asked. “I don’t know much about snakes–well not snakes in this part of the world--but it seems kind of late in the year for a snake to be out. And even if it was, the tent was zipped up when we left. I mean it’s possible but unlikely, right?” The more he thought about it, the more certain he became. “Jack, I think this was done on purpose.”

Jack looked back at the gory form of the dead snake. Daniel could be right but it could have been just an unfortunate coincidence. Not everything that happened to them was the result of some evil design. Well, maybe it was where Daniel was concerned. He seemed to attract evil like a magnet. Sometimes, though, things just happened, like spraining your ankle while you were jogging, or locking you keys in the car. This could have been one of those things, a chance meeting with a snake that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But if Daniel was right–and he usually was–it led to the obvious question. Why?

“You think it’s Thompson?” Jack asked. 

Daniel nodded.

“Okay, I’m not saying you’re right, but supposing you are,” Jack said and noticed Daniel trying not to smile, “what do you suggest we do about it?”

“Do?” Now Daniel’s grin was full blown. “I suggest we set a trap.” 

“No, no, no,” Jack exclaimed vehemently. “No trap. We’re both in rough shape, we’re unarmed except for kitchen utensils, and we’re alone.” He held up his hand when Daniel started to protest. “Aht! This man is trying to kill us, and while I would love to take this creep down, I think our best chance of survival is to make ourselves scarce until Carter gets back with backup of the gun carrying kind.”

“Jack, I don’t think Thompson’s trying to kill any of us. If he wanted one of us dead, we’d be dead. He’s had a couple of golden opportunities already and we’re still here. Whatever’s going on, it’s not an attempt to kill us, at least not directly.”

“So what _is_ going on, Daniel? I don’t think he’s sent out the Welcome Wagon.”

“Think about it, Jack. If he was trying to kill one of us, it’s been a botched operation all the way. It’s been too easy. He doesn’t want us dead, although I imagine that would be an added bonus, he wants us to hurt us, to see us suffer.”

Jack wanted to disagree. What Daniel was going through was far from easy. Hypothermia was serious business, and snakebites were no picnic either. Nor was being tied up and left without shoes if it came to that. But Daniel was right. These weren’t the actions of a professional killer. It was a very clumsy way to murder someone. Tied up and barefoot was uncomfortable but not life threatening. Snakebites were potentially deadly, yes, but there were better, easier, quicker ways to kill someone. On this he was an expert. So maybe Daniel had a point. 

Jack knew, however, even if Daniel didn’t, that only one member of the team was meant to suffer. Thompson’s grudge was personal. Jack only suffered so that Daniel would experience the pain of seeing a friend injured and in danger. The fact remained; this man was dangerous and need to be stopped before he hurt anyone else. Before he hurt Daniel--again. Until that time, Jack resolved, he and Daniel were going to stay out of the way.

“Jack, we need to do this. We can’t let Thompson stay out there and there’s no guarantee that when Sam gets here, even with backup, they’ll be able to catch him.” He pleaded with Jack, “Come on, we both know who he’s after.” He proceeded to lay out his plan for Jack.

* * * *

“You sure about this, Daniel?” Jack asked in concern.

“Yeah, sure I’m sure,” Daniel answered from inside the sleeping bag. He saw the worried look on Jack’s face. “Look, Jack, we need to catch this guy and chasing him through the woods isn’t going to work. I know. I’ve tried it. This will work.” He patted Jack’s arm. “Trust me.”

Jack took one last look at Daniel and relented. “Fine,” he said standing up. “I’ll be just a few feet away.”

“I know,” Daniel said.

“If this goes bad, you get the hell out of here.” 

“Got it.”

Jack stood staring at Daniel one more minute before turning abruptly to take up his position in the woods.

 

Every nerve in Daniel’s body was on edge as he twisted in Jack’s sleeping bag. They’d left Daniel’s ruined sleeping bag and the dead snake in the tent unwilling to throw it into the woods in case Thompson should find it. It was a gruesome roommate. Daniel tried not to look at it, tried to relax, but every sound in the woods, every gust of the wind, made him jump.

After what seemed like an eternity, Daniel heard the rustle of a tent flap opening.

“I know you’re awake, Dr. Jackson,” said a familiar voice. “Your bodyguard’s unavailable. I made sure of it.” The voice came closer. “You didn’t think he was going to stay, did you?” he asked in a voice thick with hatred. “O’Neill’s only concern is with the military, not with a useless civilian.” The voice was now right above him. “You might as well look at me, Daniel.” A booted foot kicked him in the ribs making him grunt. 

Daniel rolled over to stare at his attacker who was standing over him with a zat in his hand. He swallowed nervously. Where was Jack? The word “unavailable” made him shiver, not with cold this time but fear 

“Seth, what’s this all about?” he asked keeping his voice steady.

“You already know what it’s about,” Thompson said.

“Look, Seth, I’m sorry you didn’t make a first contact team, but it’s not for everybody. The requirements are understandably strict. I know a man of your intelligence can make a useful contribution in another part of the program. Just because you’re not fit enough to go through the gate doesn’t mean–.’

“Not fit enough?” Thompson’s rough voice cut him off. “Did you really buy that story after our little run through the woods? And I thought you were supposed to be a genius.” His laugh sent chills down Daniel’s spine. Perhaps it wasn’t the fitness test that Seth had failed, even though that’s what he’d told Daniel at the time.

“I failed a personality test,” Thompson said as if reading Daniel’s mind. “I wasn’t the right personality type to go through the gate. Too unstable, violent tendencies, that kind of thing. O’Neill had the final say and he ‘requested’ my transfer out of Cheyenne Mountain.”

“Jack? You told me you _wanted_ to go to Area 51.”

“I wanted your name on my transfer when I brought it to O’Neill. You know how he feels about civilians and scientists,” Thompson sneered, “well, except for one.”

Daniel swallowed convulsively as Thompson’s face got closer.

“And because he has ‘feelings’ for one particular archeologist, you’ll serve my purpose very well.”

“Purpose?” Daniel asked impressed that his voice didn’t shake. He'd obviously underestimated Thompson. He _was_ out to kill someone.

“I’m going to leave a dead body for O’Neill to find.” Thompson said it almost gleefully. "Yours."

“I thought you said Jack only cared for military things,” Daniel said trying to stall for time. “Why would he care about my death?”

“Oh, he won’t,” Thompson agreed, “but you’re a member of his team and it looks bad on his record if someone under his command gets injured or, God forbid, killed.”

“Why the zat?” Daniel asked curiously. “A gun would be faster.” Damn, what a stupid thing to say! Some days, he thought, he could be real idiot. What on earth was he doing asking about the type of weapon Thompson was going to use to kill him? And where did he get a zat gun from in the first place?

“The zat?” Thompson caught Daniel’s glance at the weapon. “I borrowed it from Area 51. I’m sure they’re looking for it by now.

“As for why, well I’ve given this a lot of thought since O’Neill booted me out the door.” He looked down at Daniel with loathing in his eyes. “I want O’Neill to know you suffered first. I want him to pay for sending me away,” Thompson said raising the zat to point it at Daniel’s face, “and after you’re gone, I’ll make sure O’Neill knows that his negligence caused your death.”

“And the snake?” Daniel was stalling some more, hoping against hope that Jack was on his way.

“The snake? I planted it in your tent while you were sight seeing at the falls. I had hoped that the beautiful Samantha might have come in and found it but, sadly, she left. Just as well, I suppose. This will be much more dramatic.” He waved the zat under Daniel’s nose.

Daniel swallowed again waiting for the all-encompassing shock to wash over him. In the back of his mind, he thought about his earlier conversation with Jack. He’d been right about Thompson, up to a point. He just hadn’t understood the depth of the man’s desire for revenge, nor had he suspected that not he, but Jack, was the target. He had to admit it was a good plan as far as it went. Jack _would_ blame himself for Daniel’s death, and not because he was Daniel’s commanding officer. Even in what could be his last moments those words made Daniel smile inside. 

A small movement drew Daniel’s attention back to Thompson. 

“You’re smiling, Daniel? Not really the sentiment I was looking for at a time like this.”

“Nothing you would understand Seth, I’m afraid,” Daniel said. Maybe the smile hadn’t been inside after all. If Jack had ever been his commanding officer, which Daniel doubted, he certainly wasn’t now. And yes, Jack would blame himself if something happened to him but for reasons that had nothing to do with the military and everything to do with the kind of man Jack was. He looked deeply into Seth’s eyes and said softly. “Put the zat down, Seth. You don’t want really want to do this.”

Pain swept over Thompson’s face and the zat lowered for an instant. “I have to, Daniel,” he whispered. “It’s all I have left.”

The pulse of a zat shot echoed through the tent. Daniel tensed waiting for the pain and when none came opened his eyes to see Jack standing in the doorway zat in hand.

“What the hell took you so long?” Daniel yelled.

“You okay?” Jack asked.

“Fine,” Daniel answered. 

“Sorry,” Jack looked at Daniel intently, his zat still pointed at the unconscious Thompson, before he said with a grin, “had to meet up with the cavalry.”

“Sam’s back?” Daniel asked. He wanted to stand up and go to her but right now his legs felt like jelly.

“Yeah, Teal’c too. He showed up with Carter--and the marines. Your lucky Hammond likes you. He sent them special delivery but you’re going to have to explain all this to him when we get home.” Jack peered at Daniel anxiously. “You okay?” he asked again.

“Legs don’t want to work,” Daniel admitted. “Maybe a little light-headed,” he added noticing that the room had started to move.

“Adrenalin rush is a funny thing,” Jack said kneeling beside him. 

The tent was now overflowing with marines who were securing the prisoner. Daniel could feel Jack’s hands on his shoulders pushing him to lie down. He could hear Sam’s voice in the background asking if he was all right. He thought he heard a bass voice call his name. But his last memory was of Jack. A gentle hand rested on his forehead and a soft voice in his ear was saying, “Relax, Danny. We’ve got it under control. Let go, Daniel. I’ve got you.” The voice faded away as his eyes closed.

* * * *

“I’m not going,” Daniel said firmly.

“Excuse me,” Jack said staring at Daniel. The four friends were again sitting around the campfire drinking coffee while they watched the marines prepare to leave.

“I’m not going,” he repeated. “It’s my vacation and I’m going to finish it.”

“Daniel, Dr. Warner wants to check you over--today,” Sam said.

“He can check me over in three days, after my vacation’s over.”

“Daniel Jackson, I do not believe this is a wise course of action.”

“Sorry, Teal’c. I’ve made up my mind. I’m staying.” He crossed his arms carefully over his chest and waited for the yelling to start. Jack, he was sure, would have something more to say.

“Ahhh, Daniel,” Jack’s voice was strangely calm, “do you really think this is a good idea?”

“Yes, I do,” Daniel said firmly.

“You didn’t want to go on this trip in the first place,” Jack said.

“Well, I do now.”

Sam cast a concerned look at Jack who just shrugged his shoulders. He knew better than to argue with Daniel when he was in this mood. 

Daniel’s collapse in the tent had scared Jack more than wanted to admit. The medic Hammond had so thoughtfully sent along assured the three worried teammates that Daniel’s body was merely doing what it needed to do to help it recover. He’d simply fallen deeply asleep. Jack, Sam, and Teal’c had hovered for a while and then tucked him into bed and let him sleep. They’d all been stunned to see Daniel stagger out of the tent a half an hour later, sit down by the fire, and pour himself a cup of coffee.

Jack stared at Daniel for a minute longer noticing again the stubborn set of the jaw. He looked at Carter nodding for her to stay with Daniel, not a problem since Carter had her arm entwined with Daniel’s. He found the medic who confirmed that Daniel was suffering from mild hypothermia and some painful bruising but didn’t have a concussion. It was his opinion that Daniel should be back at the base for observation. However, he was recovering well and none of his injuries were life-threatening. Jack thanked the man for his time. 

He mulled the situation over for a couple of minutes while he watched the marines tie the still unconscious Thompson to a stretcher. Jack was grateful for that. If he’d been conscious, Jack might have taken matters into his own hands. He’d almost done it in the tent. How hard would it have been to zat Thompson twice? But with Daniel in front of him he simply couldn’t do it. As hard as it was, he’d have to let the justice system deal with Thompson. He turned away.

Returning to the circle of friends at the fire, he said, “Well, kids, it looks like we’re here for a few more days. Maybe we should all try to get a few hours sleep.”

Startled, Daniel looked up to see Jack grinning at him. “Thanks, Jack.”

“Hey, you still owe us dinner.”

* * * *

Jack turned over to check on Daniel. He knew that neither Sam nor Teal’c had slept the first part of the night. After the departure of the marines–returned now to General Hammond’s tender care--the four of them had eaten a quick out-of-a-can meal, chatted for a few minutes, and rolled into bed. Daniel had been asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow but the other three kept tossing and turning. They’d kept rolling over to check on Daniel. Sam would reach out to brush the hair from his forehead and Teal’c would reach out and place a hand on Daniel’s foot. Jack knew this because he’d been doing it too, and was doing it now. He reached out a hand to touch Daniel’s arm and found--nothing? What the hell!

“Daniel?” With a groan he sat up to see the empty sleeping bag. They’d only been in bed a few hours and Daniel was gone. Then he noticed the note on the pillow. As he picked it up to read it two sleepy voices piped up–

“Colonel?”

“O’Neill?”

“Relax guys. Daniel went out for a walk. Don’t panic. I’ll go check on him.” In the dim light, he saw the two of them lie back down.

“Call us if you need us, sir,” came Carter’s sleepy voice.

Stepping out of the tent, he had to laugh at the note. It said, “Jack, I’ve gone for a walk. I’ll be back by breakfast. No, I’m not cooking. Yes, I’m FINE. Daniel.” Jack started for the falls.

* * * *

“Hey, Jack,” Daniel said without turning around.

“How do you do that?” Jack asked.

“What?”

“How did you know it was me standing behind you?”

Now Daniel did turn to give Jack a look of mild disbelief.

“All right, fine,” Jack grumbled, “but stop it. It’s creeping me out.”

“What, like you didn’t know I was gone from the tent two minutes after I left,” Daniel said.

“That’s different. I...uh...had to go to the little colonel’s room,” Jack said.

“Uh huh,” Daniel said turning back to the falls. “Sam?”

“Asleep,” Jack said. “She fussed over you for about an hour after you feel asleep last night--this morning.”

“Teal’c?”

“Him too. I think the one thing he resents now that he doesn’t have a snake in his gut is that he has to sleep sometime. I thought he was going to stand guard over your sleeping bag all night.”

“I went over the falls.” Daniel’s statement seemed to come out of nowhere. Jack didn’t answer. 

“You knew?” Daniel asked looking over his shoulder.

Jack still didn’t answer. He merely looked at Daniel. The bruising had given him a clue that Daniel had done more than fall in the river and get wet. 

“Of course you knew.” Daniel turned back to the falls. 

The rocks at the base of the falls looked so innocuous in the predawn light, giants, instruments of death that slumbered in the water. Jack was grateful that Thompson was long gone and out of his reach.

Jack took a deep breath and looked away from the rocks to Daniel. Of course he’d known. Not the specifics maybe, but he’d known. Daniel could have been killed, not once, not twice, but three times during this trip, in acts of senseless violence intended to make him, Jack O’Neill, suffer. Thompson blamed him for his own failure. Thompson’s real failure was that he wasn’t Daniel Jackson. No one ever could be. And Thompson truly had no idea how much Jack would have suffered if something had happened to Daniel, his friend, his conscience, his other soul.   
But it hadn’t happened. Daniel was here, alive and well. Looking at Daniel again Jack decided it was time to let his anger go. It would be back, certainly, when it came time for the trial, but for now his best friend was right in front of him, not off with glowing aliens, not hooked up to a hospital bed, not even bent over some dusty old artifact, but on a camping trip with the people who loved him best. 

The silence settled between them, calm and comfortable as they stood looking at the waterfall, its sound a quiet hush in the grey light of dawn.

“Sam brought chocolate,” Jack said into the silence.

“What kind?” Daniel asked.

“Something expensive from the looks of it,” Jack answered. 

The quiet reasserted itself. Jack came to stand just behind Daniel so that their shoulders were almost touching. Here in the predawn light Daniel looked so...Jack struggled to find the word. Daniel had become so important to him over the years that their connection to each other was almost telepathic. Of course Daniel had known that Jack was standing behind him, just as Jack knew when the situation was reversed. Of course he’d known that Daniel had gone over the falls just like Daniel had known where to find him in the woods in the middle of the night. 

Now, in the early morning, watching the friend he’d almost lost, he tried to figure out what Daniel meant to him. He tried and the only word he could come up with was “there.” Daniel looked so there. Strong and solid and...there. Jack shook his head and gave himself a mental kick in the ass. Years of associating with the world’s best linguist and that was the best he could do? There? During Jack’s scrutiny, Daniel simply stood staring at the waterfall.

“You about ready to head back for breakfast?” Jack asked.

“Not yet,” Daniel said softly. “We need to wait just a few more minutes.”

“Wait? For what?” Jack wanted to know. Introspection was all well and good, but he was getting hungry and somewhere there was a bagel with his name on it. 

“Wait, Jack,” Daniel begged. “Just a little longer.”

Jack sighed. Okay, he’d wait, but only because it was Daniel doing the asking. 

A few minutes later, the sun broke in the sky behind the falls and turned the horizon a soft pink and purple. The light, which last night had bathed the falls in the rich reds and golds of twilight, now touched the upper river with the glorious shades of early morning. The colors seemed to rush over the lip of the falls like watercolors spilled from a pallet, flickers of color, blossoms of yellow, mauve, pink, and colors Jack couldn’t name, all dancing on the ceaseless wave. The falls surged with color, vibrant and iridescent, pulsing and seething with new life and promise.

Jack looked over to see Daniel’s face in the early morning light--and saw the words he couldn’t find. Daniel’s face, even more than the falls in front of them, glowed with an inner light, the colors on his face the radiant hues of the sunrise. 

“Oh, wow!” Jack whispered his eyes still on his friend.

“Oh, yeah,” Daniel agreed looking at the falls. 

Jack took a step closer and put his arm around Daniel’s shoulder. The two men watched the changing colors of the sky until the world completed its rebirth and returned to the mundane activities of the day. 

“Jack?” said Daniel, his voice still soft after the wonder of the early morning light.

“Yeah, Daniel?”

“Do you think we could have chocolate for breakfast?”

“We’re on vacation. I figure we can do whatever we damn well please.”

“Good.”

They stood a few more minutes watching the sunlight dance on the water, each loath to have this moment end. 

Finally, hunger drove Jack to ask, “Ready to go eat?”

“I suppose.”

“Chocolate covered bacon and eggs?”

“Jack,” Daniel looked over his shoulder warningly.

“Chocolate covered pan potatoes.”

“Jack!”

“Chocolate covered toast.”

“JACK!”

“Chocolate covered waffles, how about muffins?”

“I’m leaving now.” Daniel unwound himself from Jack’s arm and started to walk back to the camp.

“Chocolate covered corn flakes.”

“You’re nuts you know.”

“Can you put chocolate in coffee?”

Daniel rolled his eyes, “Oh, God!”

Jack ran to catch up with his friend, ready to begin this glorious day. Slinging an arm over Daniel’s shoulder Jack said, “You know, this chocolate thing for breakfast thing could really catch on. Let’s go wake up Carter and Teal’c.”


End file.
